The forest forager

A slender Northern Palm Squirrel nibbles on a fig as it rests on a tree branch along Chattogram city's CRB road. Found across South Asia in gardens, orchards and evergreen forests, it feeds on fruits, nuts, seeds and the occasional insect, helping disperse seeds that keep woodlands alive. Females nest in tree hollows lined with leaves, raising litters of two to four young who venture out after a few weeks. Threatened mainly by habitat loss, this tiny forager remains a vital thread in the forest's tapestry.
 

PHOTO: KOMOL DAS